MIT: “Folded” PV Array Improves Light Collection

A research team at MIT has used computer modelling to demonstrated that a tower equipped with PV modules set at right angles to one another can produce significantly more power than a flat-panel dual-axis tracking array with the same footprint.

Writing in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, Marco Bernardi, Nicola Ferralis , Jin H. Wan, Rachelle Villalon and Jeffrey C. Grossman describe a combination of reflectors and absorbers in a three-dimensional array that can improve conversion efficiency over a broader range of “sun hours” and low-light conditions than can flat-plate collectors alone.

The model may dramatically improve the solar efficiency of BIPV arrays on high-rise buildings.